ARK: Survival Evolved Wiki Guide

Gathering Basics

Just like any survival game there are several materials you need to gather in large quantities in order to progress. This page will give you the basics of where and how to farm the various materials in Ark.

Fiber and Berries - Gathered from bushes by hand. Berries can be gathered by using herbivore creatures as well. Right now the only way to gather Fiber is by hand, however a mount that can gather Fiber is planned and on the way. Fiber is used for crafting and building. Berries are used for eating, cooking, and taming. Narco and Stim berries can be turned into Narcotics and Stimulants with a Mortar and Pestle.

Meat and Hide - Gathered from all dead creatures. Harvest more meat with a pick and more Hide with a hatchet. Raw meat is used to tame carnivores or be cooked in a fire so it can safely be eaten. Meat can also be allowed to spoil and be turned into Spoiled Meat which is used to make Narcotics and tame and feed Scorpions. Hide is used in crafting and building.

Thatch and Wood - Gathered from trees by punching, pick, hatchet, or some dinos. Punching, picks, and dinos like Trikes and Brontos get more Thatch than Wood. Hatchet and Mammoths get more Wood. Both are used for crafting, building, and starting fires.

Flint and Stone - Gathered from rocks by pick, hatchet, or some dinos. Get more Flint using picks and dinos like Anklyo. Get more Stone by using the hatchet or picking it up off the ground. The devs have yet to put a good Stone gathering mount in the game but one is planned for later. Both are used in crafting, building, and making other materials like Sparkpowder and Cementing Paste.

Chitin and Keratin - Chitin is gathered from various creatures like Spiders and Scorpions while Keratin is gathered from others like Carbonemys, Stegos, and Trikes. Using a Hatchet or creature like the Sabertooth will get you more of both. These are used in various crafting.

Metal and Obsidian - Metal is gathered from rocks with gold streaks or solid gold, usually found on mountains and in caves. Use a metal pick or Anklyo to get more Metal. Obsidian is gathered from smooth black rocks found in the same places and harvested the same as Metal. Metal is mainly used to make Metal Ingots which are needed for crafting and building, but some items require raw Metal to craft. Obsidian is mainly used in the Fabricator to craft other materials like Polymers.

Silica Pearls and Oil - Pearls are gathered by hand while Oil is gathered most effectively by pick. Both are found underwater, Pearls only at the bottom and in caves, Oil at medium to deep waters and in caves. Pearls are used for crafting things like the Spino Saddle and Electronics. Oil is used to craft some items, used in the preserving bin along with Sparkpowder to turn Cooked Meat into Jerky, or combined with Hide in a Refinery to make Gasoline. Gas in needed to run things like the Electrical Generator and Fabricator.